Rain
by Wowzer600
Summary: Kakashi was not quite able to move on after Tenshi's death. But, there are whispers in the air about strange happenings in the world. When Tenshi's grave is destroyed and her remains stolen, Kakashi is forced to act. Sequel to Kakashi's Angel.
1. Chapter 1A

1A

The rain that fell around me did not bother me. It would never bother me, because it served as a vivid reminder to me of her. To remember her… it still caused me pain. The rain that fell forced me to remember every moment I had spent with her. The intense emotions that it invoked from me caused me so much pain that it was torture, but it was a torture that I had long ago decided I deserved. I had not been able to save her and so I would stand in the rain.

No one found it strange anymore to see a shinobi standing out in a storm. Since become a sensei I had done it less and less, instead focusing more on my obnoxious students. This was the first time in months I had been able to stand in the rain. It was a relief to finally feel so many emotions, to feel the torture that it caused me.

I tried to focus in on the sounds of the storm. Below my feet, I could feel the light bounce of the gravel as rain hit it. I began to wonder about things; things that had plagued my mind for years; things that would never have answers. I had to wonder if Tenshi had tried to take her own life. With the life she had led, she must have wanted to escape and death seemed like a reasonable choice in her situation. But, then again she was a lot stronger than me. While I probably would have chosen death, she would have struggled to live on. She had lived for so long under those disgusting conditions. Had Tenshi ever thought of dying?

"I want to know that you are alright," My throat seemed to close up as my body began to go numb from the freezing rain. I smoothed back my silver hair, molding it against my scalp. My shirt plastered itself to my skin beneath my waterproof vest. Strangely, as torturous as the rain was, it was comforting at the same time. Since her death, there had been moments where I felt so close to Tenshi that it was as if her arms were wrapped around me, holding me. As tortured as I was, the rain made everything better. It would clear the world for a short time. The never-ending cycle of torture and comfort was tiring.

"Are the angels crying?" I laughed bitterly, my chest tightening. "Could they be crying for Tenshi and me?" I wanted to know that Tenshi was finally at peace. I felt guilty as I thought for a moment and I looked down at the ground, my hair covering my eyes. I wanted Tenshi to be at peace. I wanted her to be free. And, as selfish as it may be, I wanted her to know that I loved her and would never forget her. I would always want her back.

"Kakashi is so strong," People always praised me. I was a strong ninja, one of the greatest in the nations. But, it was a lie. I was nothing more than a coward. Tenshi had been the strong one. I was still the weak child I had been on that night when Tenshi had run. I had continued to live after Tenshi died, but I had stopped living that night. Worse yet, it was hard to ignore the small whispering portion of my mind that yearned for the day that I would join Tenshi. It was that portion of me that would have me looking at my kunai and contemplating just giving up. Instead, it always seemed to rain and give me a moment to torture and comfort myself all at once.

"Tenshi, why did you run that night?" I spoke to the rain, half expecting an answer. There was a small tremor beside me, almost as if someone was there with me. I tipped my face up towards the rain, trying to hide the pain. Asking that question allowed just showed how selfish I was. I knew why she had run. I did not need to ask her that. If Tenshi was indeed still with me, watching over me, I did not want her to feel any pain.

I let out a choked sob and closed my eyes. Warmth spread around me as something wrapped itself around me. I kept my eyes closed, familiar with the feeling and aware that nothing was there. This was the real reason I stayed in the rain. This had to be Tenshi. She had sensed my pain and had come to comfort me. I wanted her to be happy, and I could not prevent myself from torturing myself to get closer to her. I did not want Tenshi to regret her death, but I wanted her to come back to me.

The pressure fell away from me and I opened my eyes, peering down the dark street. In the rain, I could almost make out a slim figure, water streaming off the body as it trembled. I reached out towards it, a part of me dying as I wanted for the touch that would never come. Tenshi was dead and would never be back. She had died in my arms. I would always be alone.

My arm felt as it was laden with stones as it began to drop, then the touch came to my fingertips. It was so light, but it was there. I jerked my gaze up to my hand which seemed to spark and then slowly illuminate. A soft blue glow filled the fuzzy image of the hand touching mine. I followed the specks of light up, the reflection from the tiny drops of rain illuminating the woman before me. My voice caught in my throat as I prayed the moment would last forever.

"Tenshi," my voice was hoarse with unchecked emotions.

"Kakashi-sensei?" Just like that, the moment was destroyed by the curious and cheerful student. Tenshi was gone. I was alone again. I turned to look at Sakura with sad eyes, wanting to go back to the moment that was now lost. Sakura watched me with confused green eyes. Her gaze took in my soaked figure and my unemotional features. "Kakashi-sensei, are you okay? You are really… wet…" Sakura trailed off. I watched her, irritated. But, she was my student and I could not be irritated with her for worrying about me.

"Yes, I am fine. What do you have there?" I asked, motioning to her bag to relieve myself from an interrogation.

"It's a painting I just bought." Sakura became animated, her face flushing as she pulled out a large picture, keeping the delicate item under her umbrella to protect the beautiful work.

"Show me?" I asked. Sakura nodded and I crept in closer to gaze down at the portrait of a man and a woman. The woman had obviously been beaten and was lying on the ground with one black eye, but then I noticed a second woman. No, it was an angel who was protecting the woman on the ground. The man looked frightened of the beautiful angel, as if his own death was flashing in his eyes instead of the beautiful creature. The thing that caught my attention was that the angel was an exact replica of Tenshi. She had long brown hair and bright hazel eyes. I finally tuned into whatever Sakura had been babbling about.

"And the painter claims that the last time her husband beat her, an angel appeared and saved her. You should see her other paintings! The support group that meets with her is also cool. They all claim to have seen the same angel and the angel spoke to them. You would not believe some of the stories." I gazed at Sakura, losing interest in chatting with my student.

"Where is the painter?" I asked casually. Sakura took note of my curiosity. I needed to ask about the angel in the portrait. Something just told me to go to the group. It could not just b e a coincidence that the angel looked like Tenshi.

"She owns a little shop up the road. The lights are still on and there is a support group inside." Sakura watched me curiously, but I disappeared without another word to her. She called after me, but her voice fell on deaf ears.

I sprung up the street and found the small shop Sakura had referred to. I burst through the door, water pooling at my feet and onto the tiled floor. Everyone jumped, shocked and frightened by my sudden burst into the room. I gazed around at the faces of startled children and adults before taking a few deep breaths so that I would not frighten them anymore.

"Yo," I greeted them. A woman strode forward, meeting my gaze. Her black hair pulled into a braid and her black eyes hard. She was a woman who had suffered.

"We are in the middle of a meeting." She snapped.

"I'm sorry, but I saw a picture of your angel and I wanted to know more about her." I felt as if I was rushing to get my words out.

"The angel that saved me, that saved us? She is our savior. What have you done to deserve the right to come in here, during out meeting, and demand answers?" She put her hands on her hip, glaring at me.

"I just want to…"

"Leave her alone. She saved us and she wants us to be happy. Don't try and ruin it." A young boy piped up, staring at his sneakers. A snarl plastered across his face.

"My name is Hatake, Kakashi. I think that I may have known her when she was alive." My voice cracked and I suddenly felt tired. The woman's expression softened.

"You are Kakashi? I was wondering when you would come to me." The woman's entire demeanor turned around. "The angel asked me to do but one thing for her in return for her saving me. She asked me to deliver a message. She told me to find Kakashi Hatake and tell him that she was fine. She spoke of you for the brief moments that we spoke. She still loves you."

She still loved me. I could not quiet process what I had heard, even later after finding my way home. Even after Tenshi's death, she was not a rest. She continued to save other innocent people. My heart tightened painfully in my chest. I turned in my bed to look at the picture on my table. It was of Tenshi and me from the festival we had gone to. I had been such a fool then, not knowing what was going to happen to her. It seemed so stupid, to be so happy in that photo. If only I had known that she would die just over a week later.

"I'm sorry Tenshi." I murmured, curling into a tight ball before reaching out to shut off my lamp. I lay in the dark, letting it consume me. Then a light weight settled behind me. It felt as if someone laid their head on my shoulder and my dry shirt suddenly started to get wet in one spot. It was as if someone was weeping.

"I love you Kakashi," Tenshi's voice whispered into my ear, like a light breeze. I closed my eyes, tightening them to stop the tears that rose in them.

"I love you too Tenshi."


	2. Chapter 1B

1B

As a child, I had dreamt of flying. I had wanted to be like a bird, flying wherever they wanted and away from things that scared them. They were so free. After I had grown older, and had learned about the cruelties in the world, I had learned better. I knew that I was not meant to be free. It had become a distant dream, a dream that could never be reached, alive or dead. I was never able to reach my dream of being free. Alive, there were boundaries and I had thought that flying would be my freedom. I envied the birds and wanted to soar through the endless blue skies. I had thought that if my dreams would come true then I would escape my father, and I would have been able to escape my demise.

"I'm going to fly," I told people when I was still an innocent child. I would stretch my arms straight out and pretend that I was climbing higher and higher in the sky. I would imagine the light breeze that found its way into the village was lifting me higher and higher, over the village walls and out to the freedom that had formed itself in my mind.

I no longer have to dream. I could really fly and it was better than I could have ever imagined. The wind gently caresses your skin, like a loving mothers' gentle warm touch. Most of my cares just fell to earth. After I died it was like I had been rescued from all pain and sorrow. I never should have expected it to stay that way. I was never meant to be truly happy. My old pain may have faded but a new one had risen in its place.

I was supposed to be happy, but I was filled with sorrow. I could close my eyes and try to catch the fleeting joy that always was so evasive, just out of my reach. It was the joy that came from remembering the times I had shared with him. It was selfish of me, but I wanted him to be there with me. He should have been able to enjoy this with me. That was why I would never truly be free.

Even as I flew above the clouds, I wanted to see Kakashi. My white wings shimmered in the light as the sun bounced over them. The air was fresh, crisp and sweet. Yet, Kakashi dominated my thoughts. I had been granted freedom, but had not yet found it. I had gratefully climbed out of my body and risen into the sky, leaving behind everything. I had flown through the clouds into a light. It was a new and wonderful place. Flying into the sky, leaving me with a single regret… leaving Kakashi behind.

I perched on a cloud, closing my eyes and opening my ears for the cries of the living. They were always calling for help. I followed those cries, because they brought me closer to Kakashi in a way. It reminded me of being alive. Even dead, I was a mirror image of my old self, wanting something that was not available for me.

When I would rest, I dreamt that Kakashi flew with me. I would reach down to him, grabbing his outstretched hand and pull him up with me. Wings extended from his scarred body. The wind caressed his face, lovingly, and my hands would follow. I would show him my world and help him to leave behind everything that hurt him. I wanted him with me. In my dream I would close my eyes and grasp Kakashi's hand in mine. We would fly up into the sky and I would be content. It was a selfish dream, but if dreams came true, that was my dream… to be together with Kakashi.

I opened my eyes, falling into the pictures of my dreams as my mind flew to someplace else, to a place where Kakashi could wrap his arms around me. A place where we could be happy.

I brushed back my long brown hair, standing up straight as I felt the energy from rain clouds nearby. It would be raining in my old village soon. For some reason, in the rain, I was more noticeable to humans. It may have been due to the fact that I had loved the rain so much when I was alive, so I retained a connection in death to the natural occurrence. This was my time to be with Kakashi.

I stood at the edge of my cloud, gazing downward towards earth. I tilted my head back, tipping my body forward and letting myself fall. I gasped as the air rushed up to meet my body, rushing around me. I tugged my wings in closer, letting my body fall naturally. I started to nosedive, my eyes opening to view the world rushing towards me. My wings burst from my sides, stretching out and catching the wind to slow my descent. With a powerful stroke of my wings, I was flying through the air, towards my old village. I followed the tug in my heart, the invisible string that always seemed to lead me to Kakashi. It was not long until I found him, standing in the rain, watching it fall around us.

Kakashi's eyes were filled with hopelessness. His hands shoved in his pockets, his body slumped forward. Kakashi appeared to be a defeated man, and that broke my heart. I blinked back tears, throwing myself around him, holding him tight.

"Are the angels crying?" Kakashi laughed. I choked on the sobs in my throat, pulling away from him to stifle myself. "Could you be crying for Tenshi and me?" Even though my sobs would have fallen on deaf ears, I still attempted to stop them. My heart pounded in my chest, knowing that Kakashi did not know I was there. I wanted so much to be able to comfort him.

"Why Tenshi, why did you run that night?" He snarled. I wondered if he could see me. I grabbed onto his arm, unable to find the words to answer him. I shivered, my body running cold.

I had watched Kakashi since the day I had died. I had watched him change, become a loner… become darker. Somehow, we had become stuck in a void, calling out to each other, but being dragged down in opposite directions, unable to escape. I wrapped my arms around him again, hoping to steal away some of his pain. I had caused so much of it, it only seemed right that I could take away some of it too. Unfortunately, it was not in my power to help him.

"Sorry," I whispered, taking a step back. I had to leave. I paused, watching astonished as Kakashi did a peculiar thing. He raised his hand, holding his palm out straight towards me. For a moment, I was fooled, wondering if he could see me. It seemed so far, now that I looked at it. My hand began to tingle and become so warm it bordered hot. I finally reached out, touching Kakashi's hand. I glanced at my hand, meeting Kakashi's, feeling the tingling and the warmth stretch up my arm. The warmth seemed to spread to my center and fill me.

"Tenshi," Kakashi's awe-struck voice filled my ears. I gazed at him, wondering if he truly could see me.

"Kakashi-sensei?" A voice called to him. I pulled away, taking off into the sky with one powerful stroke. I would visit him later, when he was alone.

I drifted through Kakashi's roof, landing in his living room. I waited for a moment, staring at the mess and waiting for him to arrive. Kakashi finally walked in, his face pale and his body soaked. It was as if he had gone swimming. He walked away, disappearing into the bathroom before coming back on with dry clothes. I followed him into his bedroom, watching as he lay down on his bed. He turned, staring at a picture frame near his bed.

I leaned in closer, looking at the picture that held his attention. It was one of him and me at a festival, looking so happy. I had been so happy going to the festival, to happy to even think about my father. At that time, I was just glad that Kakashi was dancing with me, making me feel as if I was flying for the first time in my life.

"I'm sorry Tenshi." Kakashi muttered to himself. I nearly missed his words. My heart ached as I watched his distress. He turned off his light and then curled up. I glided over him, slipping in beside him and resting my head on his shoulder. I could hear his steady heartbeat under me. Tears slid down my face, dripping onto his clothes.

"I love you Kakashi." I cried, although I knew that Kakashi would never hear me.

"I love you too Tenshi."


	3. Chapter 2A

2a

I only half listened to the ranting from Naruto and Sakura when I arrived late, again. They reminded me that I was late… every day. But, if they were so annoyed with me being late then they would begin training before I showed up.

"You see, there was a black cat," I started to say.

"Save it," Sakura snapped, rubbing her forehead. I smiled at them. They made an amusing group. It was a good thing, because it kept me from wanting to abandon them as I had done to all of the other students the Hokage had tried to place me with.

Sakura Haruno was the only girl. Her long pink hair and green eyes were as unique as the intelligence and chakra control she exhibited. Unfortunately, she was failing to blossom due to the crush she harbored on the Uchiha boy.

Naruto Uzumaki was the young blonde boy with bright blue eyes. He harbored an immense amount of charka, due to the nine-tails fox imprisoned inside him. He was always competing with Sasuke, a rivalry that could compete with Gai's.

Sasuke Uchiha was a prodigy and, if not for his attitude, he would have been the most popular student. He had black hair and matching eyes. He would use some happiness in his life, but he was so worried about getting revenge for his clan.

"Okay," I said putting more happiness into the worlds than I actually felt. The three young ninjas watched me with interest. "We should practice." Naruto and Sakura fell forward, and jumped up to continue yelling at me. They did not like it when I acted as if I had something important to say and then it turned out to be nothing. I smiled at them, feigning innocence. This was the kind of thing that reminded me of my younger days when I had been their age, days that I cherished and hated at the same time.

"Kakashi-sensei, why do you do that? Make it seem as if you've got something important to say and then," Naruto whined.

"Shut up, dobe." Sasuke cut in.

"You shut up, Sasuke. At least I'm a real ninja!" The fighting was beginning.

"Whatever," Sasuke smirked.

"Leave Sasuke alone, Naruto." Sakura glared daggers at the blond. I could feel a headache developing as I listened to the three young ninja.

"No, today… today I will show you a real ninja." I decided. Everyone looked up at me and went quiet, seeing the seriousness on my face. They were curious. It must have been something about the way I had said it. I removed the seriousness from my voice and put on a smile again.

I was hiding behind a mask again, stupid. I turned around a walked towards the forest, turning to motion to my group to follow. They crept behind me, cautious of what I had planned. I led them deeper into the forest, brushing aside an overgrown glance. My breath caught in my throat.

Tenshi spun in the clearing, looking soaked. She leapt and spun, holding out her hand to an imaginary dance partner. She turned, looking straight at me. I blinked, the image disappearing. I sighed, letting my complaining students through. I led Sasuke, Naruto and Sakura up to the statue in the center of the clearing. It stood alone, vines draped over it, enhancing the beauty of the statue.

The statue, Tenshi's final resting place, was an angel with an upturned face. An exact replica of what she looked like. I cleared my throat, finding it hard to breath as I gazed on that familiar face.

"In loving memory of Tenshi,

A ninja that shall always be remember

A broken heart that the world forgot"

I closed my eyes, speaking the words without having to look at the inscription on the grave. "Do you know anything about this ninja?" I asked.

"She completed her training and attended missions, all while her father was abusing her. She would be beaten, yet she continued to train. I heard she was a strong girl, and she successfully completed her training, only to die shortly after." Sakura proudly spewed the knowledge out. I gazed at her, my heart dropping.

"Yes, she was a true ninja." I murmured.

"Why?" Sasuke spat, "She let herself be killed by her father. She could have killed him and she would have lived." I stared at Sasuke, pity filling me for him. Sasuke did not understand anything. He may have been an extremely gifted student, but he knew nothing when it came to being a true ninja.

"Sasuke, she was a true ninja because she never gave up. She never took the easy way out, by killing her father. She knew how to love. She was hurt every day and yet bore no ill will against him. She died because she refused to kill an innocent person." Everyone went silent and looked at the statue.

"Her father was innocent?" Naruto looked confused.

"Yes, he was a very sick man. He did not know what he was doing and he regretted his actions. I'm sure he did."

"That was a stupid question, Naruto." Sakura berated, punching Naruto in the shoulder. Naruto frowned and looked at me again.

"I don't want to rain down on your parade or anything. What I want you to take out of this is that you need to avoid hurting innocent people. Be strong and never give up. Just because we are ordered to kill people every day, it is not always right. Taking someone's life is a horrible thing." I gazed into each of my students' eyes, wanting them to take my message to heart. "You are dismissed." I needed to be by myself.

"Sensei," Sakura paused as she turned to leave.

"What?"

"I also heard that when she died, she was happy because she died in the arms of the one she loved. Was it her father?" I closed my eyes, shaking my head because I did not trust my voice at that moment.

"Someone else," I finally blurted. Sakura left the clearing, chasing after Sasuke. I could hear Naruto screaming 'I love Ramen' at the top of his lungs in the distance. I smiled briefly before leaning against Tenshi's grave, losing energy. I wanted to be with her for a moment. The leaves in the tree fluttered and the woods were quiet. It was calm. I rested for a moment longer before straightening up and, with my hand in my pocket, walked away, a smile gracing my lips.


	4. Chapter 2B

2b

I ran my fingers through my wings, pruning the delicately appendages folded around me. I acknowledge the body that settled down near me, disturbing my solace. I glanced up at the large black man who strolled forward. I smiled, waving as Mu. He settled down beside me, watching my movements. Since my death, he had become a sort of surrogate father for me. He was my best friend and had taught me everything I needed to know in the weeks following my death.

"Hello Mu." I murmured, wiping away the last of my tears with the back of my hand. I did not want Mu to see my tears, but he knew. He stared at me with unhappy brown eyes. His dark skin appeared even darker against his white wings. His cropped black hair was as dark as a midnight sky. He sighed.

"Tenshi," His voice was quiet. He took a step forward and embraced me, pulling me up to him. I struggled for a moment and then collapsed into tears. He held me against him as I sniffled, tears slipping down my face. Angel tears. They were strange tears, tinted purple. I had heard whispers that angel tears held secret powers, but they were just false rumors.

A soft breeze swept over us, alerting me to the barrier that Mu had erected around us.

"I-I-I'm s-so lost." I sobbed, struggling to string my words together. Mu patted my back, comforting me.

"You are not lost kid," Mu smiled. I sniffed, stepping away from him. I brushed away my tears and laughed for Mu's benefit. It was stupid of me to cry when I had so many things to be thankful for.

"You… are really sad here, aren't you?" Mu's face fell when I said nothing to affirm or deny his words. I could not meet his gaze.

"I know that I am being selfish, but I miss Kakashi." My voice sounded wet from my tears.

"You are not being selfish. A young girl should not have had to give up her life the way you did." Mu looked at his hands, clenching them. He flew away, not giving me another word. The barrier came down and I dropped back, lying across the cloud. I turned onto my stomach, turned my gaze upon the earth. Happy children played, men and women kissed. I could never have a family now, never be the man and woman kissing. I moved to another cloud, closer to the ground now. I watched people as they got up, getting ready for the day. A young mother tried to get a squawking toddler under control before turning to kiss her husband goodbye. I watched as a ninja woke up and prepared for the day ahead of them, for the missions. These were only a few of the things I was missing.

I left my cloud a few hours later, lazily floating through the sky. I blinked when someone called out to me.

"Tenshi," Mu called behind me. I recognized his voice immediately. He always did enjoy watching the mortals with me. I turned towards him, smiling.

"Mu, come watch with me." I turned to stare curiously down at the ninja who were on a mission.

"Tenshi," Mu repeated, his voice was tight and forced. I frowned, turning to look at him again.

"Mu?" I moved to turn, but I was not fast enough. There was a flash of silver and pain shot through me. I gazed at Mu, my eyes wide. I looked down, grasping the silver sword that slipped into my skin, right beneath my rib cage. My gaze followed the weapon up to stare at Mu who was holding the end of the sword. Blood began to ooze from the wound. The silver glistened in bright contrast to the red of my blood. I had only seen the sword once or twice; it was Mu's job to make sure that the sword was used correctly. I wondered for a moment if he would get in trouble for using the sword on me.

"I couldn't watch you suffer anymore," Mu explained as he pulled out the sword. My chest ached as I pulled in a deep lungful of air. My wings pumped in an irregular rhythm. I touched the wound, no longer feeling the pain. It continued to throb.

"Mu?" I whimpered, confused. My vision swam in and out of focus. Mu shook his head, offering a smile.

"Tenshi, there is…" I was falling. My feathers molted and my wings began to fade away. I dropped down through the air, freefalling. I could see Mu's dark face before I turned and calmly let myself plummet towards earth. No wings to stop me from hitting the ground.


	5. Chapter 3A

3a

It had been three days since our last training session. I finally had summoned my students together for practice. Naruto, who was as hyper as ever, probably from lack of exercise while I had moped around, was bouncing impatiently. Sakura seemed extremely tired and kept glancing at Sasuke. I watched them, waiting for the groan that would come when I began to talk.

"Time to train," I smiled at the groan from Naruto and Sakura. I started to whistle a random tune as I led the way to the training grounds. I was hoping to test their patience with the whistling, maybe even get some death threats from the young teens. Sasuke ignored me, but that was usual. I was surprised that Naruto and Sakura did nothing. They were either all very tired or annoyed about something else. I could not help much in either department and would probably only make matters worse through the intense training they were going to be put through.

I stopped at a rather large tree and Sakura looked at me, annoyed as she waited for instruction.

"What do you want us to do?" She finally growled. She then yawned and rubbed her eyes.

"I want you to climb up that tree, no chakra." I told my students enthusiastically. This time, all three groaned, in one long note. I swore I saw birds taking flight at the angry outburst from my students. I finally put up a hand, silencing the protests and pointed at the tree again.

"But, it's so big!" Naruto shouted, huffed and crossed his arms.

"You can do it," I smiled back.

"I can't even fit my arms around it," Naruto yelled.

"Maybe you shouldn't use your arms then," Sasuke coughed and I paused. I finally frowned. "Just get started." I said with a smile. I watched as everyone got out their kunai and made their way towards the gnarled trunk.

I found a comfortable tree to sit against and pulled out Ichi Ichi Paradise. Sasuke had resorted to using brute strength and his kunai to get up. Naruto was charging head on, and he kept falling. I looked at Sakura, interested to see if she would try something different, but she only whipped out her Kunai and followed Sasuke's lead. I made a quick bet with myself that Sasuke would reach the top first.

It was after an hour of training when the earth began to rumble. Screams filled the air around us. My students fell from the tree, hitting the ground hard. All three groaned, trying to scramble to their feet as the earth rolled and shook. A moment later a young boy shot out of the woods, looking like a scared rabbit. He tried to spring past me but I snatched his shoulder. The earth rolled again and the boy quivered and tried to get away.

"What is happening?" I demanded.

"The earth, it's splitting." He shivered and his eyes were wide. He was terrified. I let go of the boy when I heard a loud cracking sound. It was coming from the direction of Tenshi's grave. I dodged a large tree that fell, the earth groaning again and then everything stopped. I jumped over fallen branches and finally came to the clearing. Smoke rose from the crater that now sat where Tenshi's grave had been. The statue lay on its side. The place had all but been blown up. The little white flowers were burnt and gone. Grass was burned brown in some spots. Toru, my old sensei, struggled to get back into his wheelchair. Sakura ran over to help him. Toru looked shocked. Then I saw the coffin.

Tenshi's coffin had been opened and pulled out of the ground. It was empty.

"Tenshi!" I screamed, running forward towards the defiled grave. Everything told me to hunt down whoever had done this to the grave and to kill them.  
>"Stop," A voice demanded. It was familiar, but at the moment I could not identify it. I struggled against the hands that secured me back from tearing apart everything until I had found Tenshi's body.<p>

"Tenshi!" I shouted again.

"Kakashi, damn it! Stop!" I was not listening though. A fist hit my jaw and left me dazed for a moment. I flinched in pain and looked into Gestan's face. His dark brown eyes watched me, his anger hooded as he tried to contain his own outrage at the event that had just occurred. I finally found my voice.

"What happened?" Gestan shook his head, releasing me now that my head was clearer.

"I don't know. I just arrived and was paying my respects, along with Toru, when a dark man in a cloak showed up. He did something with his hands, maybe some signs? I do not know exactly. I am sorry Kakashi. I tried to stop him, I really did. I went right through his body. He took her… he took her body." Gestan spat bitterly. He pulled off his green bandana, which covered his dark hair. He fiddled with his gold hooped earrings as he tried to figure out what was going on.

"We need to catch him," I snarled, falling to my knees and digging my fingers into the freshly turned earth. A rock bit into my palm, but I did not wince and waited for myself to calm down.

"Kakashi, let's get you home." Gestan pulled me to my feet, keeping a solid grip on my shoulder. He was smart to do so, for if he had let me go then I probably would have run.

We walked past my stunned students. Gestan told them to leave. I did not want to explain anything to my students at the moment. By the time we reached my apartment, I had calmed down more. Well, more dead than calm.

Gestan allowed me to collapse onto my couch. He went into my kitchen, slamming cupboards as he looked for something. I put my face in my hands, taking deep shaking breathes. How could I have let this happen? How could Tenshi's body have been taken? And why had it happened?

"Kakashi," I did not want Gestan to apologize to me anymore. Tenshi had been like a sister to him, so I knew he would have done everything in his power to stop the mysterious man from taking her body.

"Don't," I cut him off and took the tea he offered me. I looked up at Gestan with tired, grief filled eyes. "You look like you have aged ten years." I declared finally after looking him over. Gestan got out a laugh and smiled.

"Not much I can say for you. We saw each other, what, like a year ago?" I nodded. It had been about a year when we had last seen each other. We had both went to Tenshi's grave, talking fondly of the past and then to a bar to down our sorrows until we passed out on my living room floor. It was a yearly occurrence for us.

"What about her body?" I asked, letting my gaze drift around the room. I was hoping to come up with some terrible way to torture the grave robber when he was found.

"We will find who did this." Gestan was determined. "Who would rob a grave in broad daylight?" I closed my eyes, taking a sip of the strong tea. He was right. Nobody was stupid enough to rob during the day. They had to be strong, indestructible if they had no fear to pull of the heist in Konoha.

"You should probably go talk to Toru, he is probably in shock." My old sensei took flowers to Tenshi's grave weekly. I briefly recalled him being at the grave site, his wheelchair tipped over, now that I thought of it.

"I think I will," Gestan said. He left a few minutes later, leaving me to grieve on my own. Leaving me to plot how I would kill whoever was responsible for what had taken place. I would kill them.


End file.
